vile adj.

1650s, "capable of being obtained for a price; that can be corrupted;" 1660s, "offered for sale," from French vénal, Old French venel "for sale" (of prostitutes, etc.; 12c.), from Latin venalis "for sale, to be sold; capable of being bribed," from venum (nominative *venus) "for sale," from PIE root *wes- (1) "to buy, sell" (source also of Sanskrit vasnah "purchase money," vasnam "reward," vasnayati "he bargains, haggles;" Greek onos "price paid, purchase," oneisthai "to buy"). Typically with a bad sense of "ready to sell one's services or influence for money and from sordid motives; to be bought basely or meanly."

c. 1300, revilen, "debase, degrade" (a sense now obsolete);" mid-14c., "insult, taunt, vilify, assail with abusive language," from Old French reviler "consider vile, despise, scorn," from re-, here perhaps an intensive prefix (see re-), + aviler "make vile or cheap, disesteem," from vil "shameful, dishonorable; low-born; cheap; ugly, hideous" (see vile (adj.)). Related: Reviled; reviler; reviling.

mid-15c., "to lower in worth or value," from Late Latin vilificare "to make cheap or base; to esteem of little value," from Latin vilis "cheap, base" (see vile) + combining form of facere "to make" (from PIE root *dhe- "to set, put"). Meaning "to slander, speak evil of" is first recorded 1590s. Related: Vilified, vilifying.